Flamboyance, Elegance, Classicism, Simplicity, Grandeur, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. There is an almost surreal beauty to what was once, the pinnacle of human creation when it came to luxury motoring.

It was the grandest. It was the most splendid. It was the finest. It was, the Bugatti Royale.

Built to be fit for Royalty, the Royale was conceived by Ettore Bugatti as a response to a wealthy English lady, a prospective customer who told him she didn’t have a car she wanted.

Bugatti had made its mark as makers of high quality, powerful and light supercars that took home all the trophies in town. But what she wanted was a luxury car. Something she could comfortably tour many many miles in.

At a length of a staggering 21 feet and weighing close to 3.2 tonnes, the Royale is one of the largest cars in the world.

To power all this, an engine larger than life was in demand. And then, it came. A 12.7 litre Straight 8. Yes, 12.7 litres. And the Straight 8 configuration was at that time, a Bugatti tradition. It generated close to 300 horsepower. In 1927! Imagine how it would have felt! With 3 valves per cylinder, this iron monster only had a single carburetor. Now imagine the size of that! It was originally intended to be an aero engine for the French Air Ministry. But it found it’s home in this motoring marvel.

But it’s the design that speaks the most. It’s meant to be extravagant, loud and flashy, but it somehow isn’t. The size may be imposing, but overall, the design language is remarkably understated.

It features the historical Bugatti style signatures such as the horseshoe grille, the curve and the sculpture of an elephant as the hood ornament.

This elephant was one of the finest works of Rembrandt Bugatti, the elder brother of Ettore who had made his name, handcrafting sculptures, which were mostly, extremely intricate and fine renditions of animals.

There was a convertible version, designed by Ettore’s son, Jean Bugatti. It was, The Royale Esders Roadster. It was commissioned by French clothing manufacturer, Armand Esders.

This one has to go down in history as one of the most extravagant displays of wealth. A 21 foot, 12.7 litre engined convertible with 2 seats. It also had folding rumble seats at the back. It had no headlamps to prevent the flowing long silhouette from being disturbed. Imagine one of these floating past the road during the roaring 20s. A real chariot!

Whether in Convertible form, the Sedanca form, or the Limousine form, the Royale is truly, a royal car. A chariot in every single way. An icon of design. A masterpiece in engineering. The personification of what happens when dreams turn into reality!

 – Abhyjith. K. Ashokan

“Keep The Passion Strong!”

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